I'm certainly no authority on electric fences; however, I completed one a couple of weeks ago that does a good job of keeping out deer. There is a great deal of information about electric fences on the internet and I spent quite a bit of time on research. Regarding grounds: You can have a hot wire only and the animals will ground to the earth, or you can alternate hot wires with ground wires and animals will ground both to the ground wire and to the earth. Deer can't ground to the earth when they are jumping over or through a fence so alternate ground wires are desirable. Also, during times of severe drought such as we get here in central Texas, there isn't always enough moisture in the soil to provide a good ground and ground wires are desirable. I purchased almost all of my supplies at Tractor Supply, including a multi-light tester for $10. By the way, start by the charger and test sections of the fence; you might find that you have good voltage up to the point where there is a short and that might help you zero in on your problem. Good-quality insulators and sufficient ground rods are essential, but don't forget that brush, weeds and grass will also short out a fence. Fencing is an exercise in patience and perseverance that tests our moral fibre. Hang in there! With enough mental anguish and perspiration you'll get the job done!

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